IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNSHIP AND PROPER PLACEMENT OF GRADUATE NURSES IN IMSUTH

Nightingales’ greetings from members of the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), the professional association of nurses with a minimum qualification of first degree in nursing.

2. We write to request that you implement the graduate nurses internship in your hospital and as well effect the proper placement of those that are already in the service as prescribed by the circular, REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 dated 8th September, 2016 from the office of the head of civil service of the federation (please refer Annexure A).

3. The referred circular has made a one-year internship training a compulsory part of nursing education for the Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc) degree as is obtainable with the university education of other healthcare disciplines with the implication that baccalaureate education of nurses is incomplete and void without the internship training.

4. The opportunity of blending theory with clinical practice offered by the internship training is most beneficial to fresh graduate nurses especially as nurses form the first line of client care and have the highest visibility and number of hours spent with patients in the hospital.

5. Since the lives of people are entrusted unto nurses’ care, it is imperative that they are adequately trained and motivated to perform this calling effectively and efficiently hence our request for implementation of the internship training and proper placement of graduate nurses by your hospital.

6. For ease of implementation of our request we hereby avail you the Federal Ministry of Health’s guideline for implementation of internship and proper placement of graduate nurses (please refer Annexure B) and other relevant documents for your due guidance.

PRAYER

We passionately request that you

1. help fresh graduate nurses of Imo State extraction trained in Imo State University and other universities across the country complete their nursing education vis-à-vis internship training by offering them opportunity to run internship training in your hospital.

2. upgrade existing nursing officers who were on CONHESS 07 (.i.e Grade Level 08) before the release of the circular to the new base of CONHESS 08 (Grade Level 09) effective from 8th September, 2016 (being the date of release of the circular REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 by the office of the head of civil service of the federation) as prescribed by the civil service circular, Ref No. B63279/S.7/II/T/273 dated 24th April, 2002 (please refer Annexure C).

3. Commence the employment of fresh graduate nurses on CONHESS 08 and upgrade the existing nursing officers who were wrongly employed on CONHESS 07 instead of CONHESS 08 even after 8th September, 2016 (the date the circular was released) to CONHESS 08 effective from the date of their employment.